Role: Gillian Killiner
Company: 121 Dietitian
Track Record: It is a real thrill to help people to reach the pinnacle of their strength
Give a brief outline of your career to date.
I started work 18 years ago, my first job was at the Ulster Hospital, and from day one my career has been varied, emotional and exciting. I trained in various NHS hospitals in the UK. The specialist areas include paediatrics, surgery, ICU, respiratory, and I finally specialised in haematology at the Belfast City Hospital. I left the NHS in 2007 and set up my own consultancy business in 2008. This change was a major new learning process, knowledge base and so far it has been a fantastic, busy and thoroughly rewarding eight years.
What was your favourite subject at school?
I didn’t have a favourite, I enjoyed several areas especially biology, geography, maths and art. These were my A-levels.
Did you go on to further/ higher education, if so what did you study and where?
Yes I completed a BSc (Hons) Food Science at the University of London. I realised I didn’t want to work in the food industry and so I then proceeded to complete a MSc Human Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Ulster Coleraine.
How did you get into your area of work?
I moved from London to Northern Ireland in 1993 as part of my first degree. I was privileged to work the year for the WHO at The Royal Victoria hospital Belfast as part of a team researching hyperlipidaemia and heart disease. On my placement I worked for an inspirational dietitian — I had never encountered one before but I knew this was my dream job.
Is this what you always wanted to do?
I had no career plans at school, I was an all-rounder. My mother was diagnosed with MS when I was five. I took on the role of shopper, cook and carer when she was sick. It was this knowledge about food and my interest in health that led me to my job today.
Were there any particular essential qualifications or experience needed?
For an undergraduate degree, you need two or three A-levels, including chemistry, maths or biology, along with five GCSEs (grades A-C), including English language and maths. To get onto a postgraduate course you will normally be expected to hold an honours degree which contains an acceptable level of human physiology and biochemistry.
Are there alternative routes into the job?
BTEC, HND or HNC which includes science subjects relevant NVQ science-based access course equivalent level Scottish or Irish qualifications.
What are the main personal skills your job requires?
You need to have excellent communication skills: listening, verbal and written. You need to be able to empathise and relate to each individual you come into contact with; patients from young to old, health staff, consultants, peers, caterers and carers. You need to be able to take the complexities of nutritional science and translate this into easy, clear information as a take-home message based on the individuals medical, social and economic background. The nutritional message changes daily so having to stay up-todate is essential.
What does a typical day entail?
For me at 121 Dietitian I have an extremely varied work life: I may be seeing patients or a sports pro, at one of our clinics, of any age from 0-100. Alternatively, I could be in the office consulting with patients worldwide using Skype, answering emails, phone-calls, updating social media, menu-analysing, fixing the computer or writing up my patient programmes. Other days I may be presenting to an audience of nearly 100 people in the corporate setting or consulting for the NHS. You might find me writing articles for magazines, or online sites or you may hear me speak on the radio. Admin and unpaid research and learning takes up a huge chunk of time. My daily hours are 8.45am to 3pm and then from 7.30pm to 11pm or later as required.
What are the best and most challenging aspects of the job?
I enjoy the challenge of helping people with complex issues. I provide bespoke evidence based programmes that allow the individual with the help of my unique medical and nutritional knowledge to recover and maximise their life to 100%.
Why is what you do important?
These people are often housebound with serious fatigue, maybe gut health issues, depression, IBS, obesity, auto-immune conditions. After diagnosis and medication, unfortunately their symptoms continue. With the correct assessment and treatment, the outcomes can be life changing. Regarding the corporate sector, maximising performance of staff is a great reward as it not only improves performance, but moral too. With professional sportspeople working with them, it is a real thrill to help them to the pinnacle of strength and health and obviously win, win, win — that’s priceless.
What advice would you give anyone looking to follow a similar career path?
The world out there is tough. Dietetics is a very popular course. If you really want to be a dietitian you need to get your exams and get great experience in a large teaching hospital. I had a fabulous year at Guys and St Thomas’ Hospital in London and that showed me how things really should be done. I have held this high standard in my work to this day.
If you could go back, what is the one piece of advice you would give yourself on your first day?
I can’t say I would change anything — I have grasped and enjoyed every opportunity.
Describe your ideal day off
Okay… I think I would be in a hot country with my family, have no work to do, no shops, no housework, enjoy good company, really delicious food, walk, swim, explore, relax, have music in the background or my eldest daughter singing to me and do it all again the very next day.